Seven Deadly Sins of Metrics Programs: Pride

The first deadly sin is pride. In the cannon of deadly sins, pride is the sin from which all other spring. In the world of metrics programs, the sin of pride is when a metrics program settles on a single metric that is used to reflect the value or well-being of a project, a group or organization. Examples of abound of metrics programs that fixated on cost or productivity to the exclusion of a broader palette of metrics and work attributes. Most metrics professionals quickly learn that one metric cannot be used for all projects. If you can’t easily answer the question, “Does this relate?” each time you use a metric and for each metric you use, the information generated through measurement and analysis will provide little or no value. The goal is to understand the differences between groups of work so that when comparisons are made, you can discern what is driving the difference (or even if there is a difference). Comparing package implementations, hardware intensive projects or custom development is rational only if you understand that there will be differences and what those differences mean. The bottom line is that rarely does a single metric deliver that deep level of understanding that generates value from measurement.

Another example of the single metric syndrome generated by the sin of pride occurs when an organization uses a single metric to value performance in a contractual arrangement. While entire contracts are rarely stipulated on a single metric, it easy for a single metric to be given disproportional weight due to the framers’ lack of understanding or a disconnect between the framers and the people that administer the contract. Poor understanding of the relationship between the numbers and the concepts they represent is akin to failure in punctuation when writing. The resulting meaning can be garbled as the contract is negotiated, implemented and managed. We won’t get into an existential argument over whether something is a sin if it is inadvertent; the result is the same. Garbled concepts can lead to a single metric focus which once discovered will beg to be taken advantage of. This usually causes an overemphasis on a specific portion of the value chain, such as productivity being emphasized over time-to-market, quality or cost.